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Criminal Law

If you have been arrested or accused of a criminal charge in Rockwall or Hunt County, you will need an attorney. The right attorney can make a difference. I have established solid working relationships with prosecutors, and use those relationships to achieve a favorable outcome for my clients.

Your Best Criminal Defense is Your Attorney

I can help you if you have been arrested or accused of a criminal matter. There are a couple things you need to keep in mind. The first thing you should know is to ‘remain silent.’ Do not say or do anything that will jeopardize your family, job or yourself. Remember, you are ‘innocent until proven guilty.’ Secondly, you must find a criminal defense attorney. Whether accused of a misdemeanor or a felony, you deserve the best attorney in the Rockwall and Hunt County area.

Assaults

When anger turns into violence, you will be charged with assault. Assault is actual physical or threatened violence. The severity of the charge depends on the seriousness of the case. Many assault cases start from domestic disturbances that go too far. Assault cases involving family members are generally prosecuted as Class A misdemeanors for first time offenders. Prior acts of domestic violence and the criminal history of the accused will influence how the case is prosecuted.

Driving While Intoxicated (DWI)

It is not illegal to drive in Texas after drinking alcohol. It becomes illegal when your senses are impaired to the point where you cannot operate a vehicle in a safe manner. An arrest for DWI can result in serious consequences. A person convicted of DWI faces heavy penalties, a loss of driving privileges and may be sentenced to serve jail time. When you are arrested for DWI, two cases are brought against you. The first is the criminal case of DWI. Additionally, the Department of Public Safety will take your driver’s license away if you refuse to take a breath test, or if you take a breath test and blow at .08 or above.

Driving While License Invalid

DWLI is continuing to be prosecuted at a higher volume in Rockwall and Hunt counties. Without a valid driver’s license, you cannot get to and from work, attend family events and simply run errands. This problem needs to be resolved as quickly as possible so you can legally drive within the state of Texas.

Drug Crimes

Convictions of drug crimes in Rockwall and Hunt counties have a history of strict penalties. Drug crimes include drug possession, sale or intent to sell drugs, illegal possession of prescription drugs, drug trafficking, importation, transportation, cultivation and more. Whether the case is a Class B misdemeanor possession of marijuana under 2 ounces, or 1st degree felony manufacture and delivery of large amounts of controlled substance, the crime will be vigorously prosecuted in both counties.

Felonies

A felony is a serious criminal offense such as aggravated assault, murder, rape, kidnapping, homicide, burglary, DWI, third, etc. that you can be fined up to $10,000 and sentenced for a period of six months to life.

Misdemeanors

A misdemeanor is a less serious criminal offense such as simple assault, theft, crimes causing harm to property or people, your first or second offense, etc. that you can be fined $4,000 or less and sentenced up to 1 year.

Negotiating a Plea Agreement

Some criminal charges are dropped after negotiating a plea agreement with the District Attorney’s Office. In some cases, the defendant pleads guilty to a less serious charge in exchange for the prosecutor’s agreement to drop the more serious charges. Depending on the severity of the crime committed, a defendant who is found guilty may be sentenced to serve some period of probation, pay a fine, perform community service, make restitution or serve some time in jail or prison. A veteran criminal defense attorney will know how to work with a prosecutor to fashion a deal providing for the least severe punishment.

Probation Violations

One quarter of Americans on probation or parole are in the state of Texas. Potential consequences of a probation violation can be jail or prison time. The alternative can be that you may be placed back on probation under the same terms and conditions, or you may receive an extended probation with additional terms of probation. Many considerations are taken into account by the prosecutors and judges including whether the violation happened early or late during the probation period, whether the violation involved a new crime, the number of times you have previously violated your probation terms and the attitude of the probation officer.

Theft

There are numerous types of theft including shop lifting, robbery, burglary, auto theft, armed robbery, bank robbery, embezzlement and more. Theft charges can be very serious depending on the value of the property stolen. In Texas, the severity of the crime is directly related to the value of the property taken. Theft crimes under $1,500.00 are typically considered to be misdemeanors. Thefts involving property worth $1,500.00 or more are considered felonies. Simply put, the higher the value of the property taken, the more severe the punishment.

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This information is not intended to create, and receipt of it does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any information about a specific legal matter that may involve you until we know that representing you does not create a conflict of interest and an attorney-client relationship is established in writing. Contact our office by phone or email to request information regarding our conflict of interest policy.